Lady in Red
by TomParisLvr
Summary: He's never seen her looking so lovely as she does tonight. So before anyone else has a chance, a certain host makes his move.


**Lady in Red**

**A/n: ****This isn't a songfic, but I do sprinkle lines from "Lady in Red" throughout the story. It's recently become one of my favorite songs. I don't really like the 80s sound of the original version sung by Chris de Burgh, though. My favorite version is a cover sung by the acapella group The Virginia Gentlemen on YouTube. I also love the cover sung by another acapella group called The Madison Project. That one I found on iTunes, though I'm sure it's available elsewhere.**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own OHSHC or the song "Lady in Red."**

**Oh, and the award Haruhi receives is purely an invention of my imagination.****Enjoy!**

**O-O-O-O-O**

As members of some of the wealthiest families in Japan, the men of the host club were used to a certain amount of opulence. They had attended – and hosted – many a black tie affair in their relatively short lives. Yet nothing even they had ever seen compared with the splendor of the white tie gala in which they currently found themselves. The ballroom was grander, the décor more ornate, the place settings more expensive, and the cuisine more exquisite than anything any family or business in their social circle had ever produced.

And it was all for Haruhi.

Well, okay, it wasn't _all_ for Haruhi. There were twelve recipients of this year's Japanese National Awards for Science, Business, and Technology, including Kyoya. Yet, as a third year attending Ouran Academy, Haruhi was the only person in the Award's fifty-year history to have received the prestigious honor while still in high school. As such, Haruhi was this year's Preeminent Honoree.

The Awards had all been presented at a ceremony earlier that afternoon in the grand theater adjacent to the ballroom in which the gala was held. Haruhi, in a sleek burgundy pantsuit designed by Kaoru, awed the audience with her eloquent acceptance speech. Later, Kyoya, who wore a coordinating tuxedo consisting of a burgundy jacket and black pants, also designed by Kaoru, said he wished he'd had Haruhi write his acceptance speech as well. His speech met the high standards expected of a recipient of such an honor, hers completely blew them away.

After the ceremony, the award recipients had been whisked away for professional photographs and interviews, so the rest of the host club did not have time to congratulate their friends or take pictures of their own. Thus, during the two-hour interval between the interviews and the gala, when the attendees had all gone their separate ways to get ready for the evening, the hosts had all texted and agreed to meet immediately after the formal presentation of the award winners. It had taken a while to convince Kyoya to postpone all the socializing and networking he was looking forward to, but Tamaki had been very persuasive.

Now here they were, five members of the host club, Haruhi's father, Kyoya's family, and the twins' parents, all with their eyes fixed to the top of the grand staircase, waiting for their two bright stars to come out.

"First off, we have Kyoya Ohtori, winner of the National Award for Business Innovation for his work in the advancement of business ethics and economy in the medical industry," announced the master of ceremonies. Kyoya, now in a black tuxedo and white tie designed by Hikaru, appeared at the top of the stairs and took a bow. The audience applauded, and Kyoya walked proudly down the stairs, lit up by several camera flashes as reporters took pictures. More names were announced as Kyoya walked across the ballroom and joined his group of family and friends. Everyone congratulated him, and they all looked back to the top of the staircase, waiting with bated breath for the presentation of the club's princess.

Kaoru in particular was filled with anticipation. He had wanted to see her for so long. Two months, to be exact, but for him two months away from Haruhi felt more like 200 years. It was only last night that he had returned from a trip to study with fashion designers from all over the world, and he had yet to see Haruhi face to face. There was something really important he wanted to tell her, and he was as nervous as he had ever been in his life. He barely registered the conversation that was taking place around him.

"Just wait 'til you guys see Haruhi! She looks amazing," Hikaru told his fellow hosts, his voice filled with love and pride.

"It is true, Hikaru. I saw her backstage. You are to be commended. The dress you designed flatters her very well," Kyoya said approvingly.

"I didn't just design the dress, you know," Hikaru said. "The dress is only half of it. I picked out the jewelry, the shoes, the gloves, and I did her hair and makeup!" He smiled at his mother who was standing next to Kaoru. "Well, Mom helped with the hair and makeup," he amended.

"You did a fantastic job, Hikaru," Yuzuha said, smiling back at her eldest son. "But remember, gentlemen, the woman makes the dress, the dress does not make the woman. Haruhi is already a beautiful doll, inside and out. The clothes, hair, and makeup only accentuate what's already there."

They rest nodded; most of them apparently hadn't thought of it that way before. Kaoru didn't need the reminder. He and Hikaru had been taught that by their mother from the time they were little. Even if he had never heard that before, though, he would have known the truth of it from the way he saw Haruhi. No matter what she wore – boy's clothes, girl's clothes, ridiculous costumes, exquisite finery, ratty old t-shirts – she always looked stunning.

Their eyes returned the top of the staircase where their princess would be arriving. More honorees were presented, and the hosts applauded politely along with everyone else as they bowed and descended the stairs to join the rest of the attendees.

"And now, it is my pleasure to announce tonight's Preeminent Honoree, Miss Haruhi Fujioka, the youngest person to ever receive a National Award for Science, Business, and Technology. She received the National Award for Business Innovation for her work in the advancement of business ethics and economy in the medical industry!" the master of ceremonies proclaimed.

The hosts and their party all gasped as a vision appeared at the top of the staircase. She wore a dress of rose red satin that shimmered in the light. The top of the dress formed a choker covered with white diamonds, then fell in a halter style to cover her full breasts, leaving her shoulders and upper back bare. The waist was banded, emphasizing her curves, and the full skirt flowed from her waist to the floor like a satin waterfall. Other than the diamonds on the choker, the dress had no ornamentation. The clean lines served to highlight the form of the woman it covered, rather than overshadow it. On her arms were elbow-length, fingerless gloves that matched the color and sheen of the dress. Her hair was curled in an elegant style high on her head with soft tendrils falling on either side to frame her face. A delicate diamond tiara and matching earrings finished the look.

As she was announced to the assembled gathering of the most intelligent and influential people in the nation, Haruhi smiled tremulously and gave a small, nervous curtsy. When she was upright again, she spotted her beloved friends and family, and her smile went from tremulous to self-assured. She stood up straighter, her eyes sparkled brighter, and her demeanor became more confident. The onlookers noticed the change and their applause increased. Haruhi gave a small wave in appreciation, looking for all the world like the princess the hosts always named her.

"Wow, look at her!" Kyoya's sister Fuyumi breathed, awestruck. "I've never seen her looking so lovely as she does tonight."

"Yeah, she's positively glowing!" agreed Hunny enthusiastically.

"Mm hmm," agreed Mori appreciatively.

Tamaki added softly, as if speaking to himself, "I've never seen her shine so bright."

Kaoru looked at Tamaki out of the corner of his eye and his stomach lurched. Tamaki and Haruhi had been an item for almost a year, and had broken up a little over a month ago. Now watching his beautiful ex-girlfriend being admired by so many, Tamaki looked as if he deeply regretted letting her go and was considering trying to win her back. Kaoru wondered, if Tamaki tried, would he succeed? Would Haruhi want him back? The possibility tied Kaoru's stomach into knots.

Kaoru returned his eyes to Haruhi as she made her way down the stairs. She held onto the railing with one hand while the other held her dress up so she wouldn't trip over it. With the hem of the dress out of the way, Kaoru could see that on her feet were strappy high-heeled shoes in the same red shade as the dress and sprinkled with tiny diamonds. It was the sort of shoe that Kaoru would never, ever have expected Haruhi to agree to wear, even on an occasion such as this. What's more, she was walking in them without wobbling. The few times the host club had managed to stuff her into any kind of heels, she had wobbled worse than she would if she had been made of gelatin.

Kaoru was not the only one to notice. He heard comments of approval from the group around him, especially from Haruhi's father. Ranka said, "I'm so glad she practiced walking in those heels! I was afraid she'd trip and fall down the stairs in front of everyone. I love my baby girl, but she's never been very graceful." Everyone had to agree he was right, even Kaoru. The thought made him smile. Everything about her made him smile.

Kyoya's father leaned over to Kyoya and said in a low voice, "I've told you before, my son, that girl would make a fine addition to the Ohtori family."

Kyoya's mother leaned over to Kyoya's other side and said in an equally low voice, "I agree. If she looks this beautiful in red, imagine how she would look in white. You should snag her before anyone else does."

Kaoru was standing immediately in front of the Ohtoris and heard these comments, though he doubted anyone else did. The words made his stomach clench even harder. Kyoya didn't say anything in reply, and Kaoru couldn't see his face, but he was sure the Shadow King was making plans on how to gain Haruhi's hand.

The group watched as their princess stepped onto the floor and made her way across the grand ballroom to them. They could tell she was trying to move as fast as she could, but it was like watching a fish trying to swim upstream. Now that the award recipients had all been presented, the attendees were free to mingle. As the Preeminent Honoree of the evening, Haruhi was stopped every few feet by an admirer wishing to talk with her. To the annoyance of most of the male hosts, many of the admirers were men – men who smiled their smarmy, pearly-white smiles and offered her their hands, obviously inviting her to dance. Haruhi, a well-trained hostess, returned their smiles, politely declined their invitations, and moved on, only to have the process repeat itself two steps later.

"I've never seen so many men ask Haruhi if she wanted to dance. What gives? I know she's the Preeminent Honoree and all, but come on!" observed Hikaru, a little sullenly.

Kyoya explained, "The SBT Award winners are generally gray-haired, older men, especially the Preeminent Honorees. Yet Haruhi is a very attractive young woman. Brains and beauty draw men of caliber like flies to honey. If I were to guess, I'd say those men are looking for a little romance."

"They won't have the chance," growled Kaoru, referring not just to those men but to his fellow hosts as well. He sped off towards her as fast as he could, weaving in and out of the crowd, and barely muttering apologies to those he bumped out of his way. He didn't care if he was being boorishly rude. He had stepped aside over a year ago so his brother could have a chance with her. He had watched silently for ten long months as she dated Tamaki. He was not going to step aside or be silent anymore. Not for his brother, not for the other men in the host club, and certainly not for some fancy pants stranger.

While Kaoru shouldered his way through the crowd, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties approached Haruhi, his hand outstretched. She declined his invitation as she had all the others and tried to go around him, but he moved to block her way. Haruhi's face became less congenial, and though Kaoru couldn't hear what she said, he could tell it was curt. The man continued to press his suit, and Kaoru was about to butt in and tell the man in no uncertain terms to get lost when a high-pitched voice echoed through the air.

"Haruhiiiii, my darling little girl!" Ranka cried, appearing out of nowhere. He got between Haruhi and the rude man, and casually shoved him into a tray of champagne glasses being held out by a passing waiter, the way he had shoved Tamaki into a wall when he thought the host king was molesting his daughter so long ago. There was a loud crash, and the waiter, along with everyone else, stood staring in surprise at the man who was now sprawled out on the floor, his expensive tuxedo and white bow tie covered in booze. Ranka pretended to be oblivious to the commotion he caused. Instead, he grabbed Haruhi in one of his rib-crushing hugs and gushed, "I have never seen so many people want to be there by your side. You're amazing!"

Over Haruhi's head, he sent death glares to two other nearby young men who had been about to approach Haruhi, and they both decided that they had other places to be.

Kaoru saw the death glare, and though it wasn't directed at him, it still made him stop in his tracks. Haruhi's father may dress like a woman, but he was still a force to be reckoned with. Haruhi extracted herself from her father's death grip. Noticing Kaoru in her peripheral vision, she turned to him and smiled. It took his breath away.

He decided then and there that he wouldn't care if her father had been a heavyweight body builder able to pound him into smithereens. He walked up to the girl he had loved for so long, bowed in his best courtly fashion, and said, "Haruhi, would you grace me with a dance?"

Haruhi looked up at him with her large, chocolate eyes and blinked in surprise. "I'd love to dance with you, Kaoru, but it will have to wait. All our friends are waiting for us," she replied.

Ranka stepped up beside Haruhi, and Kaoru straightened his back and looked the cross-dressing father in the eyes. He didn't know what the older man was going to do to him, but he was going to face it head-on. Ranka tilted his head a little, pursing his lips in consideration. Then to Kaoru's surprise, he put his hands on Haruhi's shoulders and gave her a little push towards him.

"Your friends can wait a few minutes, Haruhi, sweetie. You have to dance! See, they're playing 'Lady in Red'! Whoever heard of a lady in red not dancing to 'Lady in Red'!?" he cried in a high-pitched, excited voice.

Kaoru listened for a second and realized that the band was in fact playing that song. It set the mood for this moment perfectly, and he couldn't waste it. He had to get her to dance with him.

Haruhi glanced towards her waiting friends, still unsure, but Kaoru put a gentle hand on her cheek and drew her gaze to his. "Please, Haruhi," he asked softly.

"Uh, ok," she replied, looking bewildered at both Kaoru's request and her father's insistence. She gave Kaoru her hand and let him lead her out onto the dance floor.

Kaoru wrapped his right arm around her waist and held his left hand out for her to hold. He had danced with her several times in the ten months or so since she outed herself as a girl, but he had never held her this close before. She had been someone else's girlfriend, after all. Now, though, he held her tightly, feeling her warmth and breathing in her scent with no compunctions about how it would affect his blond best friend.

There were so many things he had been longing to say to Haruhi, and now that she was here in his arms and unattached to anyone else, he was finally able to. He opened his mouth, intending to pour out his feelings for her, but found he couldn't form coherent words. Haruhi was the most amazing woman he had ever met in his life. He wanted to make a good impression on her, and that, perversely, made him tongue-tied.

Fortunately, Haruhi broke the silence between them before it became awkward. She said, "You know, when Kyoya asked me to do research and write a paper on how the medical industry's business practices affected commoners, I never dreamed it would turn into a months-long project that would lead to drastic changes in the industry. I really thought my work would be of little consequence, and that even Kyoya would find it amateurish. I treated it as just another homework assignment. A way to practice my research and writing skills. And now look at all this." She paused and waved a hand, indicating the gala. She gave a small laugh. "You know what I just realized? It's a good thing that Kyoya first asked me to do the project over summer vacation. If he had asked me during the school year, I probably would have turned him down in order to focus on my math homework or something. It's amazing how a little thing like that can affect so much!"

Kaoru smiled along with her and lowered her into a dip. He had never dipped her before out of respect to Tamaki. When he raised Haruhi back up, her face was flushed and she looked at him with wide eyes. He hoped she was just surprised and that he hadn't gone too far. Hiding his nervousness with a charming smile he said, "I think it's fate that things came about when they did. You have such talent and intelligence, my princess. Anyone who knows you well knows that your work would be anything but amateurish. The universe obviously knows it, too," he said.

Haruhi blushed at the compliment and looked away. "That's silly," she said in embarrassment.

"It's true," he assured her. She looked about to argue, so he distracted her by spinning her out. Her satin dress twirled around her in a swish of color. He loved to watch ladies' dresses twirl, and Haruhi's dress was especially lovely. _She_ was especially lovely.

The distraction worked, since when he brought Haruhi back into his arms her look of embarrassment had changed to a smile of delight. "I actually did that without tripping in my heels! I think that's a miracle!" she laughed.

"Yeah, what happened to that clumsy, ragged commoner who stumbled and broke a vase?" Kaoru teased with a grin. He added with a touch more seriousness, "I hardly know this woman by my side."

"I guess I have changed, haven't I?" she asked, a little thoughtfully. Then she looked at him and cocked her head. "I'm not the only one," she added.

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that a good thing?" he asked.

"Yes," she said rather bluntly. Then she amended herself. "I mean, you've always been a great person, but you've gotten even better."

Kaoru let out a small laugh. "You have gotten more refined. The ragged commoner you used to be would have just left it at 'yes' and not added the second sentence," he said. He didn't add that her compliment made him feel ten feet tall.

Haruhi blushed again at the memory of how she used to be. She was adorable when she blushed. Yet, he didn't want her feel embarrassed, so he spun her out again, twirling her twice this time, then brought her in so that they danced with her back to his front.

Haruhi looked around at all the other high society guests and the well-dressed servers. Many of them were sneaking glances at the couple. "Everyone's looking at us," Haruhi said, a little anxiously.

"That's because you're the Preeminent Honoree and the most beautiful woman in the room," he said softly in her ear. He felt her shiver as his breath graced her ear. He hoped it was a shiver of pleasure.

He twirled her around so they could dance face-to-face again. She stumbled on her heels, though, and he had to move quickly to catch her before she fell on the floor. He managed to get her safely upright and into his arms again.

"Sorry," she said, sheepishly. "I practiced dancing in these heels with my dad, but I guess I'm just too nervous." Her head swiveled around, taking in all attention they were getting.

Kaoru once again put a gentle hand on her cheek and guided her focus to him. Pressing his cheek to hers, he said softly in her ear, "There's nobody here. It's just you and me."

It took Haruhi a moment to comprehend his words. When she finally did, she leaned into him, all the tension in her body melting away. Feeling her relax in his arms made a wave of contentment wash over Kaoru and he continued in a whisper, "Just how I want to be."

His right hand left her cheek and slid back around her, caressing the satin fabric that covered her waist. His left hand let go of her delicate fingers, trailed down her arm and across her bare back, only stopping when he held her in a tight embrace.

As he held her, everything else in the world seemed to vanish. He was completely intoxicated with her scent, with the silkiness of her hair against his cheek, with the softness of the skin on her back, with the feel of her form under the satin, with the curves of her body pressed tightly against him. With _her_.

He had been ignoring the song playing this whole time, but now it filled his ears and fit the moment perfectly. _'I've loved this woman for so long, but I have never felt so completely and utterly in love with her as I do tonight,'_ he thought.

"Haruhi, do you have any idea how . . ." he trailed off, once again knowing what he wanted to say but not how to say it.

Her arms were wrapped just as tightly around him as his were around her, but she loosened her hold and pulled away to look at him. "How what?" she prompted.

He brought one hand up to cradle the side of her head and neck. "How wonderful and amazing you are. How long I've wanted to hold you. How much I want to kiss you," he said, his voice softening to almost a whisper. He leaned in slowly, giving her plenty of time to draw away.

She didn't, though. She looked at him with an expression of surprise for a moment, then she parted her lips and closed her eyes.

Just before the gap between them closed, he whispered, "How much I love you."

Their lips met, and the sensation of his mouth on hers sent waves of fire through his body and hit his brain like a fine wine. It was incredible. From the way Haruhi clung to him and the noises of pure enjoyment she made, she felt the same way.

After a few moments, they broke the kiss, and Haruhi said, "Oh thank god, Kaoru. You have no idea how much I love you, too." With a laugh of pure happiness, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.

Her return confession filled Kaoru with so much joy that he thought he would burst. Unable to contain himself, he tightened his arms around her waist and lifted her up into the air. Her mouth never leaving his, Haruhi squealed in delight, proving once again that she had changed from who she used to be. Maybe it was just time that had changed her, but Kaoru liked to believe that it was love.

Too absorbed with the kiss, the couple didn't notice the camera flashes that shot from Ranka's and Yuzuha's phones at the sight. The two parents looked at each other and smiled. It would be a great photo to show the grandkids.

Kaoru, however, wouldn't need photographs. As he set Haruhi on her feet and saw her face glow with happiness, he knew he would never forget the way she looked tonight.

As the final lines of the song filled the air, Kaoru leaned his forehead against hers and softly whispered, "My lady in red. I love you."

O-O-O-O-O

**A/n: Well, there you have it! I totally ship Kaoru and Haruhi, but there aren't that many stories of the two of them out there. I'm glad I could add one more. (Yes, I ship Haruhi with others, too, but few of those relationships are as underrepresented as this one is.) I may or may not turn this oneshot into a full story depending on whether I get inspiration. **


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